Historical Events
- Dec 1 27th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 38-0 in Birmingham, their fourth straight shutout in the series
- Dec 1 Classifications in minor league baseball are overhauled; Eastern and South Atlantic leagues are promoted from Class-A to Class-AA; classes B, C and D are abolished with those leagues being promoted to Class-A
- Dec 1 KGMB TV channel 9 in Honolulu, HI (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Dec 2 50th Grey Cup, Exhibition Stadium, Toronto: Winnipeg Blue Bombers edge Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 28-27; play starts 1 December; only final ever suspended during play (fog), and first to be finished on a Sunday
- Dec 3 1963 NFL Draft: Terry Baker from Oregon State first pick by Los Angeles Rams
- Dec 3 Edith Spurlock Sampson sworn-in as 1st US black female judge
- Dec 3 Pravda criticizes western art
- Dec 4 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Dec 6 US abandons Skybolt ballistic missile program
- Dec 7 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Dec 8 "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" closes at Shubert NYC after 300 performances
- Dec 8 114-day newspaper strike begins in NYC
- Dec 8 Attempted coup in British-controlled Brunei
Queen Wilhelmina's Funeral
Dec 8 Funeral for Queen Wilhelmina of Holland (New Kerk, Delft)
- Dec 9 "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" closes on Broadway
- Dec 9 Tanganyika becomes a republic within British Commonwealth
Lawrence of Arabia
Dec 10 David Lean's film "Lawrence of Arabia", based on life of T. E. Lawrence and starring Peter O'Toole, premieres at Odeon Leicester Square (Academy Awards Best Picture 1963)
1st Family
Dec 15 Comedian-impressionist Vaughn Meader's "1st Family" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 12 weeks
Lawrence of Arabia
Dec 16 "Lawrence of Arabia" film directed by David Lean and starring Peter O'Toole, is released in the United States
- Dec 16 Nepal establishes its constitution and becomes a Constitutional Hindu Monarchy
- Dec 16 NY Giant Y. A. Tittle sets NFL season touchdown pass record at 33 with 6 touchdowns vs Dallas (41-31)
- Dec 17 Beatles 1st British TV appearance on "People & Places"
- Dec 17 Current constitution of Monaco promulgated
- Dec 18 Ballon d'Or: Dukler Prague midfielder Josef Masopust wins award for best European football player; beats Benfica striker Eusébio and FC Köln defender Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
Shostakovich's 13th Symphony
Dec 18 Dmitri Shostakovich's 13th Symphony premieres in Moscow
- Dec 18 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
- Dec 18 WAIQ TV channel 26 in Montgomery, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Dec 19 Nyasaland secedes from Rhodesia & Nyasaland
- Dec 19 Street signs in Golden Gate Park approved by Park Commission
- Dec 19 Transit 5A1, 1st operational navigational satellite, launched
Osmond Brothers Debut
Dec 20 Pop singing group the Osmond Brothers debut on "The Andy Williams Show"
- Dec 21 Angolin leaves Comecon
- Dec 21 US & Cuba negotiate accord for Cuba to release "Bay of Pigs" captives in exchange for $23M worth of medicine and baby food [1]
- Dec 22 1,000,000th NBA point scored
- Dec 22 Harris County voters approve all-weather stadium for Houston Colt .45s
- Dec 22 Kinderman Place in the Bronx named
- Dec 22 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
- Dec 23 AFL Championship, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston: Dallas Texans beat Houston Oilers, 20-17; Tommy Brooker lands winning 25-yard field goal in overtime
- Dec 23 Cuba starts returning US prisoners from Bay of Pigs invasion
- Dec 24 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
Dec 25 "To Kill a Mockingbird", a film adaptation of the novel by Harper Lee, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck, is released (Gregory Peck - Best Actor Academy Awards 1963)
- Dec 25 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
- Dec 26 Dmitri Shostakovich's opera "Katerina Ismailova" premieres at the Stanislavski-Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre, in Moscow, USSR
- Dec 27 28th Heisman Trophy Award: Terry Baker, Oregon State (QB)
- Dec 28 51st Davis Cup: Australia beats Mexico in Brisbane (5-0)
- Dec 28 UN troops occupies Elizabethstad Katanga
- Dec 29 Australian cricket batting champion Doug Walters makes 1st-class debut for NSW v Queensland in Sydney at just 17 years, 8 days; scores 50 in NSW 2nd innings
Hill F1 Champion
Dec 29 British driver Graham Hill wins the South African Grand Prix at Prince George Circuit in a BRM; takes out his first F1 World Drivers Championship by 12 points from Scotsman Jim Clark
Packers Defeat Giants
Dec 30 National Football League Championship, Yankee Stadium, NYC: Green Bay Packers beat NY Giants, 16-7; MVP: Ray Nitschke, Green Bay, LB
- Dec 31 "Match Game" debuts on NBC with host Gene Rayburn
- Dec 31 American Basketball League announces suspension of operation
- Dec 31 Dutch leave New Guinea
- Dec 31 Katanga becomes part of Democratic Republic of Congo
- Dec 31 Ohio ends suit against Reds when they agree to stay in Cin for 10 yrs
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 1 Pamela McGee, American basketball center (Olympic gold 1984; 1997 WNBA Draft, 2nd overall pick, Sacramento Monarchs), born in Flint, Michigan
- Dec 1 Robert F. Smith, American investor and philanthropist, born in Denver, Colorado
- Dec 1 Stan Albers, American actor (Curtis-Loving), born in Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
- Dec 1 Sylvie Daigle, Canadian speed skater (Olympic gold 3k relay 1992; World C'ship gold overall x 5), born in Sherbrooke, Quebec
- Dec 2 Galina Grigorjeva, Ukrainian classical composer (In Paradisum; Chant), born in Simferopol, Ukraine
- Dec 2 Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, eldest son of King Simeon II of Bulgaria and his wife Doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2015)
- Dec 4 Gary Freeman MNZM, New Zealand rugby league halfback, captain and coach (45 Tests; coach 3 games; Dally M Medal 1992), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- Dec 5 José Cura, Argentine tenor, born in Rosario, Argentina
- Dec 6 Ben Watt, British rocker (Everything But the Girl - "I Don't Want To Talk About It"; Idlewood), born in Marylebone, London
- Dec 6 Janine Turner, American actress (Northern Exposure - "Maggie"; Cliffhanger; Strong Medicine), born in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Dec 7 Grecia Colmenares, Venezuelan actress (Estefanía), born in Valencia, Venezuela
- Dec 8 Berry van Aerle, Dutch soccer star (PSV)
- Dec 8 Marty Friedman, American heavy metal guitarist (Megadeth), born in Washington, D.C.
- Dec 8 Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Venezuelan conductor (Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Caracas, 2003-present), born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Steve Elkington (61 years old)
Dec 8 Australian golfer (PGA Championship 1995; 10 PGA Tour titles), born in Inverell, New South Wales
Felicity Huffman (61 years old)
Dec 9 American actress (Desperate Housewives), born in Bedford, New York
- Dec 10 John de Wolf, Dutch soccer centre-back (6 caps; Sparta Rotterdam, FC Groningen, Feyenoord, Wolverhampton Wanderers) and manager (SVVSMC, Haaglandia, FC Türkiyemspor, Excelsior Maassluis), born in Schiedam, Netherlands
- Dec 11 Ben Browder, American actor (Farscape), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Dec 11 Curtis "Fitz" Williams, American funk and R&B keyboard player (Kool & The Gang)
- Dec 11 Ejo Elburg, Dutch soccer goalkeeper (Pax, NEC), born in the Netherlands
- Dec 11 Kim Linehan, American swimmer (1500m World record, 1979), born in Bronxville, New York
- Dec 11 Nele Karajlić, Bosnian singer (Zabranjeno pušenje), born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dec 11 Paul Haslinger, Austrian musician and composer, born in Linz, Austria
- Dec 12 Holly Gagnier, American actress (One Life to Live), born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 12 Nadeem Ghauri, Pakistani cricketer (bowled in Test for Pak v Australia 1990), born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
- Dec 12 Ray Brown, American NFL football guard, 1986-2005 (Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, and 2 other teams), and coach, 2006-18, born in Marion, Arkansas
Tracy Austin (61 years old)
Dec 12 American tennis player (US Open 1979, 81; Tour Finals 1980; Federation Cup 1978, 79, 80) and broadcaster (NBC, USA Network, 7 Network, Tennis Channel), born in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California
- Dec 13 Karen Witter, American actress (Tina on One Life to Live) and Playboy playmate (Mar, 1982), born in Long Beach, California
- Dec 13 Kendra Slawinski, English netball player
- Dec 14 Bharat Arun, Indian cricketer (Indian pace bowler late-80's), born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Dec 14 Chris Dahlquist, American NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators), born in Fridley, Minnesota
- Dec 14 Glenda E. Gray, South African scientist specializing in HIV research, born in Boksburg, South Africa
- Dec 16 Jon Tenney, actor (Brooklyn South)
- Dec 16 Maruschka Detmers, Schoonebeek Holland, actress (Devil in the Flesh)
- Dec 16 Melanie Smith, actress (Emily-As the World Turns), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Dec 16 William "The Refrigerator" Perry, NFL defensive lineman (Chicago Bears), born in Aiken, South Carolina
- Dec 17 Giulla Boschi, Italian actress (Act of Contrition, Bonus Malus)
- Dec 17 Paul Dobson, English footballer
- Dec 17 Rocco Mediate, American golfer (Senior PGA C'ship 2016; 6 PGA Tour titles), born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- Dec 18 Renaldo Lapuz, Filipino-American singer, born in Manila, Philippines
- Dec 19 Bettina Huebers, claims to be the illegitimate daughter of Paul McCartney, born in Hamburg, Germany
- Dec 19 Charith Senanayake, Sri Lankan cricket batsman (3 Tests, 1 x 50; Colombo CC, Mombasa Sports Club), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Dec 19 Jill Talley, American actress (SpongeBob SquarePants), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 20 Thomas Newberry, NFL guard (Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Onalaska, Wisconsin
- Dec 21 Christy Forester, American musician (Forester Sisters - "Men"), born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
Ralph Fiennes (61 years old)
Dec 22 English actor (Schindler's List, The English Patient), born in Ipswich, Suffolk
- Dec 23 Bertrand Gachot, French racing driver, born in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- Dec 23 Kang Je-gyu, South Korean film director, born in Masan, South Korea
- Dec 23 Sonny Emory, American session and touring drummer (Earth, Wind & Fire, 1987-99), and music professor, born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Dec 24 Kate Spade, American fashion designer, born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2018)
- Dec 24 Michael Ray, American jazz trumpeter, born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Dec 25 Dean Cameron, Morrison Ill, actor (Herbie-Spencer)
- Dec 26 James Kottak, American rock drummer (Scorpions, 1996-2016), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2024)
- Dec 27 Barbara Crampton, American actress (Body Double, Young & Restless), born in Levittown, New York
- Dec 27 Bill Self, American basketball coach
- Dec 27 Mark Few, American basketball coach
- Dec 27 Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer (du Maurier Classic 1992, British Open 2006), born in Madison, Wisconsin
- Dec 27 Timothy Hacker, 10k runner, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Dec 28 Keith Lee, American basketball player (Memphis State), born in West Memphis, Arkansas
- Dec 28 Michel Petrucciani, French jazz pianist (100 Hearts), born in Orange, France (d. 1999)
- Dec 28 Rachel Z [Nicolazzo], American jazz and rock pianist ("Tokyo Blue"; Ozmosys), born in New York City
Carles Puigdemont (61 years old)
Dec 29 Catalan politician and nationalist (President of Catalonia, 2016-17), born in Amer, Catalonia, Spain
- Dec 29 Devon White, American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star 1989, 93, 98; World Series 1992, 93 Toronto Blue Jays, 1997 Florida Marlins; 7 × Gold Glove Award), born in Kingston, Jamaica
- Dec 30 Henry Cho, Korean-American comedian, born in Knoxville, Tennessee
- Dec 30 Paavo Järvi, Estonian-American conductor (Cincinnati Symphony, 2001-11; Orchestre de Paris, 2010-16; NHK Symphony, 2015-22), born in Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR
- Dec 30 Paul Crowder, British musician (The Adventures), sound engineer (Wham!), and filmmaker (Last Play At Shea), born in London
- Dec 31 Don Diamont, American actor (Brad-Young & Restless), born in New York City
- Dec 31 Heather McCartney, American-British potter and artist, born in Tucson, Arizona
Jennifer Higdon (61 years old)
Dec 31 American classical music composer (2010 Pulitzer; 3 Grammy Awards) and educator (Curtis Institute of Music, 1994 - 2021), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 31 Tyrone Corbin, American basketball forward (Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks) and coach (Utah Jazz 2011-14), born in Columbia, South Carolina
Famous Weddings
Sean Connery
Dec 6 Actor Sean Connery (32) weds actress Diane Cilento on Gibraltar; divorce 1973
Little Eva
Dec 18 Pop singer Little Eva (19) weds James Harris
Famous Deaths
- Dec 17 Thomas Mitchell, American Academy Award-winning actor (Gone With The Wind; High Noon), dies of bone cancer at 70
- Dec 20 Erik William Gustav Leidzen, Swedish American composer, dies at 68
- Dec 21 Syd Saylor [Leo Sailor], American silent and sound screen character actor (Arizona Days; The Three Mesquiteers), dies of a heart attack at 67
- Dec 23 George Saiko, Austrian writer, dies at 70
- Dec 23 Luis Alberni, Spanish character actor (The Lady Eve, Topaze), dies at 76
- Dec 28 Kathleen Clifford, American actress (b. 1887)
- Dec 29 Hans Rosbaud, Austrian conductor (South West German Radio Orchestra, 1948-62), dies at 67
